Diss Family History Group

(Rose Annie Harsent)

The murder victim was a woman called Rose Annie Harsent. She was born on 17th December 1879. No record of any baptism has been found.

The Census of 1881 shows Rose A (Annie), aged 2, living with her parents William (41, agricultural labourer) and Elizabeth (31), and brothers William (6), Edward (5) and John (3) in Bath Place, Peasenhall. [1]

By 1891, aged 12, she is still living with her parents and 3 older brothers, but now with 3 more brothers Samuel (8), Peter (6) and Harry (5), on Snows Hall Road, Peasenhall. [2]

By the 1901 Census Rose was a live-in servant with William Crisp (69, builder and postmaster) and his wife Georgianna (69) in The Street, Peasenhall. [3]

Grave of Rose Harsent, with her father?

She died on the night of the 31st May, on what was a very stormy night. Her death was registered in Quarter 3, 1902. [4] (Some sources give the date of death as 1st June; perhaps the actual time of death, either side of midnight, was at the time probably uncertain.)

Evening News, Monday, March 30th, 1903

She was buried on 5th June, 1902, in Peasenhall. Later a public subscription was raised to pay for the stonework and a memorial was erected to her.

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[1] 1881 National Census : RG11 Piece 1893 Folio 15 Page 3 Schedule 112
[2] 1891 National Census : RG12 Piece 1484 Folio 124 Page 24 Schedule 158
[3] 1901 National Census : RG13 Piece 1794 Folio 68 Page 15 Schedule 107
[4] General Register of Births Marriages & Deaths, Death (1902 Q3 Blything Suffolk Vol 4A Page 0523)